Thrust-bearing



T. V. BUCKWALTER.

THRUST BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.21, 1920'.

193759359 Patented Apr. 19, 19231;

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TRACY V. BUCKWALTER, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TIMKEN ROLLER BEARING COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

'rnRUST-BEARING'.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, TRACY V. B oKwAL- TER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thrust- Bearings, of which the-following is a speci-.

fication.

' My invention relates to antifriction bearings for taking care of the end thrust of a worm shaft or the like andhas for its prin-, cipal objects to simplify the Construction and reduce the cost 'ofsuch bearings. It consists principally in eliminating adjusting elements heretofore commonly. used; and. it also consists in the combinations and ar rangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed. j

The accompanying drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur, is a vertical'longitudinal section. through a tractor axle embodying my invention and illustrates a propeller,

shaft 1 which has'a drive gear 2 splined thereon at one end ancLha's its ,oithereend mounted in a thrust bearing provided there;- .for onthe housing or axle 3 of a motor vehicle. The drive gear 2 is supported on ball bearings carried in a pedestal which" projects upwardlyfrom the bottom of the housing 3 and meshes constantly-with the drive gear 4 on the main shaft 5 of a transmission mechanism. The drive gear-2, which is fixed to the forward end of the propeller shaft 1, can also be coupled to the countershaft 6 of the transmission. The transmission, which is entirely inclosed in the housing 3, can be of any desired type and is adapted to be couple'iliowthetpower shaft leading from the motor (not shown) in the usual'manner. The transmission is also provided with, the usual sliding gears for obtaining different forward speeds and an idler gear and a reversing gear for imparting a reverse rotation to the propeller shaft 1. This propeller shaft has a worm Twhich meshes with a worm gear 8 of a differential.

mechanism 9 mounted in the axle housing 3 and operatively connected to the driving shaft-sections 10. which in turn are conaccording to any of the well known systems "used. in the construction of automobiles,

end re Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 19, 1921 Application filed {anuary 21, 1920. Serial No. 352,938.

duced. in diameter and threaded" to receive a threaded nut 12 that has an outwardly projecting annular shoulder 13.' Mounted on the adjacent end portion of the worm shaft 1, preferably bv being pressed tightly there on, 1s a tubular inner bearing member 14,

whose inner end bears against an annular hold said inner bearing member against the shoulder 15 on said shaft. Rotation of the nut 12 on the threaded end 11 of the worm shaft 1 is prevented by means of acotter. pin

16, which extends through'a transverse holein the end of the worm shaft and, the nut, which is made after the manner of a castle nut, is provided with slots in its outer end to receive the projecting ends of the cotter pin. By this arrangement, the inner bearing member is rigidly held in relation to saidshaft.

The inner bearing member 14 has two conical surfaces 17 and 18 tapering toward the respective ends thereof which are separated by an intermediate rib 19, and near the respective ends of the inner bearing member are annular ribs 20'adapted to cooperate with grooves of conical antifriction rollers 21 and 22 arranged on opposite sides of the rib' 19. The outer bearingmembers are conical cups 23 and 24 whose inner surfaces are designed to cooperate with the respective grooved antifriction rollers 21'and 22 above mentioned. The inner cup 23 fits in the angle provided therefor by" forming an inwardlyextending annular shoulder 25 inside of the casing or fixed housing 3. The outer bearing cup "24 is preferably pressed into an annular recess formed therefor in a cap 26 which is secured to the'housing 3 by a series of bolts 27.

By the arrangement described, the end thrust of the shaft is taken care of, whether -that endthrust is inwardly ,or outwardly. y'Thus, during' the forward drive the end thrust of the worm shaft is inwardly and is nected to the traction wheels ,(not shown) taken up by the inner rollers 21, the outer rollers 22 being spaced slightly away from ,ihenuter bearing cup 24 in the position shown in t4he'drawing. During the reverse drive, the end thrust of the worm shaft is rollers 22 that take care of the end thrust during reverse drive. It is particularly noted that by reason ofthe peculiar arrange ment oftheparts there is no need for adjustment relative to each other. In ca'se the parts become so badly Worn as to require adjustment, new parts may be quickly substituted for those that are Worn.

I \Vhat I claim is:

- 1. In worm-gearing,- a housing, a WQI'III shaft, a doubly conical inner bearing member secured to the end portion of saidshaft, se-

ries of conical rollers for the conical surfaces thereof,a bearing cup for the inner series of rollers mounted in the housing, a cap opposite the end of said shaft and removably' secured to saidhousing, and a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap. p

2. Invvorm-gearing, a housing, a Worm shaft having doubly conical surfaces, series of conical rollers for the conical surfaces thereof, a bearing cup for the inner series of "rollers mounted in the .housing,.a cap opposite the end of said shaft and removably secured to said housing, and a bearing cup for the outer. series of rollers mounted in said cap.

8. In worm gea-ring,

bearing cup for the inner series of, rollers mounted in the housing, a bearing cup for the Otto! series of rollers, and a member secured to said housing for holding said last mentioned cup in position, said cups being spaced apart far enough to afford clearance,

- faces thereof, a bearing cup for the inner series of'rollers mounted in the housing, a cap inclosing the, end of said shaft and removably secured to said'housing, a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap, andra nut, on the end of sai-d shaft for holding said inner bearing member in I position.

51. In worm-gearing, a housing, a Worm shaft, an inner bearing member secured on a housing, a Worm shaft having concentric conical bearing surfaces, disposed base to base, series o'fconical rollers for the conical surfaces thereof, a

a housing, a Worm said shaft and having concentric conical surfaces disposed base to base, series of conical rollers for the. conical surfaces thereof, a

bearing cup for the inner series of rollers mounted in said housing, a nut on the end of said shaftengaging said inner bearing incinber for holding the same in position on said shaft, a cap inclosing the end of said shaft and a nut thereon and removably secured to said housing, and a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mountedin said cap.

(3. In Worm-gearing, a housing, a worm shaft having an annular shoulder near its end, a doubly conical inner bearing ring.

sleevedontheend of said shaft and abutting against the annular lshoulder thereof, series of conical rollers for the conical surfaces of said bearing ring, a bearingcup for the inner series ofrollers mounted insaidhousing, a nut on the end of said shaft for holding the inner bearing ring against theshoulder thereof, a cap for the end of said shaft removably secured to said housing-and a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap. v 7. In Worm-gearing, a housing, a Worm shaft havingan annular shoulder near its end, a bearing'ring sleeved on the end of said shaft and abutting against the annular shoulder-thereof, said bearing ring having concentric conical bearing surfaces disposedbase to base, series of conical rqllers for the conical surfaces of said bearing ring, said shaft. having its end reduced Within said bearing ring and projecting therefrom, a nut on the reduced end portion of said shaft, said nuthaving a por-- 'tion lllSldQ'Of said ring and a portion abutting against the end of said ring forhold ing the bearing ring against the shoulder thereof, .a cap for the end of said shaft secured to said housing, and a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap,'said outer series ,of'rollers being of less diameter than said inner series.

8. In Worm-gearing, a housing, driving shaft sections mounted in said housing, a Worm driving gear for driving said axle sections, a Worm shaft for driving said gear,

a doubly conical inner bearing member secured to the end portion of Said shaft,

series of conical rollers for the conical surfaces thereof, a bearing cup for the inner series of.rollers mounted in the housing, a cap opposite the; end of said shaft and-removably securedto said housing, and a bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap.

p 9. In gearing, a housing, a driving shaft, an inner bearing member secured to the' end portion ofsaid shaft and having doubly conical bearing surfaces, series of rollers for the bearing surfacesthereof, a bearing cup for the, inner series of rollers mounted in said housing, a cap covering the end of said and a' bearing cup for the outer series of rollers mounted in said cap.

'10.'In gearing, a housing, a driving shaft having a bearing surface near its end portion, rollers for the bearing surface thereof, a cap covering the end of said shaft and 'removably secured to said housing, and a bearing cup forsaid rollers mounted in said cap. i

11. In-gearing, a driving shaft having doubly conical bearing surfaces fixed thereon adjacent to one end thereof,,series of conical rollers for said bearing'surfaces, and fixed bearing cups'inclosing and cooperating with the respective series of rollers, said cups being spaced apart far enough to afford clearance between one cup and the adjacent rollers and the shaft being;

movable endwise sufficiently to take up such clearance.

12. In gearing, a driving shaft, a doubly conical inner bearing member secured to the end portion of said shaft, series. of conical rollers for the conical surfaces of said inner bearing member, the rollers of one of said series being of larger diameter thanthe rollers of the other of said series, and bearing cups inclosing and cooperating with said rollers.

.13. In gearing, a driving shaft having re- :versely coned bearing surfaces near one end thereof, series of conical rollers .for sa1d bearing surfaces, outer bearing members for said rollers spaced apart far enough to af ford clearance between one of said outer bearing members" and the adjacent rollers Y distance apart.

14. In gearing, a driving shaft, an inner bearing member having reversely coned bearing surfaces, means for rigidly securing sa1d, inner bearing member to one end of said driving shaft, series of rollerslfor the reversely coned bearing surfaces of said inner bearing member, outer bearing membersinclosing and cooperating with' said rollers and spaced apart far enough toafi'ord clearance for oneserie's of rollers, and means for preventing movement of said outer bearing members endwise with respect to each other, 7 said shaft being movable endwise sufliciently to take up such clearance.

"15. Ingearing, adrivlng shaft, an Inner bearingme'mber sleeved on one end of said driving shaft and having'reversely coned bearing surfaces, said driving shaft having a shoulder portion near one end against which the inner end of saidwinner bearing member abuts, a member adjustably mount-' ed on the end of said driving shaft, said,

member being adapted to engage the outer end of said inner bearing member for clamping the same against the shoulder portion of :the. driving shaft, series of conical rollers for thereversely coned surfaces of said inner bearing member, outer bearing members for sa1d rollers spaced far enough apart to afiord clearance for one series of rollers,*and

means for preventing said outer bearing. members from spreading apart, said shaft,

being movable endwise to bring one or. the other series of rollers into working position.

16. In gearing, a driving shaft, an inner bearing member sleeved on one end of said shaft and having reversely coned bearing I surfaces, said driving shaft having an annular' shoulder near one end against which the inner end of said inner bearing memberabuts and having a reduced-endportion adjacent to the outer'end ofsaid inner bearing member, a member adjustably mounted on:

the reduced end of said driving shaft, said member having a portion adapted to engage the outer end of the inner bearing member for clamping the same against the annular shoulder of said driving shaft, series of rolls j ers for the reversely coned s'urfacesof said inner bearing member, outer bearing members for said rollers and means forlmain- 'taining said outer bearing members ata predetermined distance apart. Y

Signed 'at Canton, Ohio, this 29th day of Dec., 1919. a f

j .TRAcY'v. B'UCKWALTEB, 

